US Pizza Malaysia comes under fire over packaging featuring Lord Murugan’s image

Malaysia Hindhudharma Maamandram, a prominent Hindu organisation, expressed its deep concerns and strong condemnation over a recent packaging design by US Pizza Malaysia. - Social media pic, November 9, 2025


US Pizza Malaysia comes under fire over packaging featuring Lord Murugan’s image


The new design is panned by the Hindu community, with calls for immediate withdrawal and an apology



A. Azim Idris
Updated 19 hours ago
9 November, 2025
2:21 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR – US Pizza Malaysia has come under fire following the release of a new pizza box design featuring the image of Lord Murugan, a highly revered Hindu deity.

The packaging, which also includes secular cartoon illustrations of Malaysian landmarks, local animals, and characters consuming pizza, has sparked backlash for its perceived disrespect towards Hindu beliefs.

In a statement, Malaysia Hindhudharma Maamandram, a prominent Hindu organisation, expressed its deep concerns and strong condemnation over the design. While acknowledging the possible intent to promote inclusivity and celebrate Malaysia’s cultural diversity, the group argued that the execution was profoundly flawed and deeply offensive to the Hindu community.

“The attempt to incorporate Hindu culture into commercial packaging, specifically by featuring a major deity, has resulted in an act of sacrilege rather than celebration,” the statement read.

The organisation further condemned the association of Lord Murugan’s image with commercial food packaging, particularly given that the boxes may contain non-vegetarian food, including beef, substances that are strictly prohibited and considered sacredly offensive to many Hindus.

The inclusion of such sacred imagery on packaging that will ultimately be discarded as trash was also strongly criticised.

“The mixing of sacred religious imagery with secular, commercial depictions of characters consuming food trivialises deeply held religious beliefs,” the statement continued.

The group expressed particular concern over the disposal of the pizza boxes, which, as single-use items, are destined for the garbage immediately after use.

“The inclusion of a sacred image on disposable packaging displays a complete and unacceptable disregard for the holiness of the deity,” Malaysia Hindhudharma Maamandram said, highlighting the lack of respect for the religious practices of millions of Hindus in Malaysia.

The incident has raised wider concerns about its potential impact on interfaith harmony in Malaysia. The organisation warned that such thoughtless appropriation of religious imagery risks undermining the delicate balance of respect and understanding between the country’s diverse communities.

“This is a serious lapse in cultural awareness and professionalism, and it poses a threat to the interfaith harmony that Malaysia has long worked to foster,” it added.

In light of the controversy, Malaysia Hindhudharma Maamandram has called for immediate action from US Pizza Malaysia.

The group demands the immediate cessation of the use and distribution of the offending pizza box design, along with a formal, unconditional apology to the Hindu community in Malaysia.

Additionally, the organisation has urged US Pizza to implement a robust process of cultural and religious consultation for all future marketing and packaging materials to prevent a recurrence of such insensitivity.

“We urge US Pizza Malaysia to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and take swift remedial action to restore trust within the affected community,” the statement concluded. – November 9, 2025